United States and Soviet Union Sign the INF Treaty

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in the White House East Room on 8 December 1987. They committed the United States and Soviet Union to destroying an entire category of missiles, extending arms control from limits on an arsenal’s growth to the removal of weapons already deployed. [3] [1]

The agreement covered ground launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers, along with their launchers and associated equipment. It prohibited future production and flight testing and applied to the two countries’ systems wherever they were deployed, including those outside Europe. [1] [4]

Inspectors would enter facilities previously guarded from the other side. Both governments agreed to exchange detailed information, admit on site inspection teams, and accept continuous monitoring at a key missile facility in each country. After the treaty entered into force on 1 June 1988, they began destroying the weapons under observation. [4] [1]

By the June 1991 deadline, the two sides had destroyed 2,692 missiles covered by the agreement. The United States and its NATO allies later charged that Russia's 9M729 system violated it, while Russia denied the allegation. The American withdrawal took effect on 2 August 2019. [2]

Related Diplomats

1. Yuri Dubinin [5] [6] [7]

Related Reading

• Russia and the United States